"What are the coordinates?" Kaizen asked finally, his voice firm.
Alaric raised a hand and a holographic screen appeared before him, illuminated by ethereal blue lights. Kaizen watched intently as Alaric deftly navigated the menus, his fingers gliding over the icons and data as if it were second nature. Eventually, Alaric found what he was looking for and transmitted the coordinates to Kaizen via a notification from the game system.
The message appeared in front of Kaizen with a soft, familiar sound. He opened the menu and read the coordinates: a set of numbers and symbols that indicated specific locations within the vast world of Rise Online. Kaizen smiled, a rare glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"We will gather here, in this very place, tomorrow at sundown," Kaizen said, his voice filled with determination. "We will issue the invitations ourselves. Cephal, Alaric, do you agree?"
Cephal, still suspicious, looked at Alaric before nodding slowly. "I agree. But we'll be prepared for any eventuality."
Alaric nodded, his expression serious. "Yes. I will do my best to ensure that those who wish to protect this world are present."
With his mind made up, Kaizen prepared to leave the game. He looked around the arena once more, memorizing the location where everything would take place. Then he opened the logout menu and, with a final glance at Alaric and Cephal, confirmed the action.
The feeling of disconnection was abrupt and familiar. Kaizen felt his real body become more conscious as the virtual world of Rise Online faded around him. He blinked, adjusting to the soft light and cozy atmosphere of his deep immersion capsule. The capsule's lid opened with a soft hiss, releasing the sterile air inside.
*
The next morning, Klaus awoke to sunlight filtering through the curtains. He stretched, feeling refreshed and ready for what was to come. After a quick and nutritious breakfast, he made his way to class. After a long and tiring day, he went to the archery department.
Klaus opened the heavy wooden door of the building and was greeted by the familiar smell of archery wax and polished wood. The walls were decorated with old trophies and photos of famous archers, each telling a story of precision and skill.
Inside the department, he spotted Lara, Clifford, and Andrew at the shooting range.
Klaus approached silently and took a bow and quiver of arrows from the rack beside him. He felt the familiar weight of the bow in his hands, the cold, comforting contact of the metal against his skin. Lara was the first to notice his presence and turned with a warm smile.
"Klaus! Have you decided to join us today?" she asked, a note of surprise in her voice.
"Yes, I thought it would be good to practice a bit," he replied, returning the smile.
Clifford looked up from his bow and nodded in greeting. "Good to see you, Klaus. We'll be working on our ranged shots today. Would you like to try?"
Andrew, ever the observer, stepped forward and extended his hand to greet Klaus. "It'll be good to have another one on the team. How's your day going?"
Klaus shook Andrew's hand, feeling the strength of the grip. "Very well, for now. I'm ready for some training."
They lined up at the shooting stands, each concentrating on their own targets. Klaus adjusted his bow, feeling the familiar stretch in his muscles as he pulled the string. He held his breath, focused on the small mark in the center of the target, and released the arrow.